A Second Chance Perhaps?
by Hotohori Fan
Summary: Natalie is a hot model, and she is starring in singer Andy's new music video! Follow her into a world of high profile beauties,scandelous relationships and life in the Fashion World.
1. A Man's Perfect Angel

**A Second Chance Perhaps?**

Author: HFan

Disclaimer: I am not gonna say much...etc.etc... blah blah characters are not mine!!!! They belong to Watase Yuu!!!!

Rants: GOD!!! Initially I had like 11 fics to my name, and now I am left with only 5, cause the rest were considered non-fanfic. this is so unfair I am sad...put off, and now I am back with another fic!!!!!!

Summary: Natalie (Nuriko for some)is the current hot stuff in the fashion world, not to forget a rather spoilt and haughty lady. But all she wanted was for someone to pay attention to her and get rid of the loneliness which she had to endure for so long.

The chance came when she was selected to work with Andy Won, a singer, in his music video. Then came a feeling of déjà vu... will sparks fly again? NurikoXHotohori. (Yaoi of not, you decide, due to a little complication in the story)

* * *

Chapter 1: A Man's Perfect Angel

"She has a pair of hazel eyes and long, wavy violet hair to match. Those features, adding her tall, willowy figure, it's not wonder that Natalie is ranked as one of the world's top supermodels.

With her long, perfectly sculptured legs, she takes elegant strides down the run-way. Her pale and flawless complexion complimented almost all the designer clothes she has modeled for. Most men describe her as 'A man's ideal Angel' from her grace and mesmerizing eyes. Her seductive smile practically melts every man's heart, giving her the pet name "Galatea", a lady statue created by Pygmalion in Greek mythology, a statue so life-like that Pygmalion eventually fell in love with it.

But 'Beauty is only skin-deep'- is what used by some others to describe her. People who know her claim that she isn't all that angelic that people describe her as. Countless of men had been left broken hearted after she had wound them round her little finger before dumping them for another... "

The angry thump of a fist meeting with the table surface silenced the stunned secretary who was reading the table.

Adrian was the manager of Elites... not to mention a goddamn strict perfectionist. And this little synopsis was NOT a whole pretty picture in which he wanted for the company, HIS even! Earlier this morning, he had been greeted by a most unappealing phone call whereby a rather furious mother of Nathalie was demanding why her precious daughter was being oh-so-scandalized by the Tokyo Fashion Magazine. That was followed by a round of threats ("Just you wait till our lawyer hears about this!") and plenty of assurance that he would take care of the problem before being so rudely cut off. He then immediately called his secretary to purchase the latest Tokyo Fashion Magazine while he dialed and woke up a rather unwilling Natalie ("No I don't care if you take two hours to get ready! Just come down now!!!") for her to come down immediately to his office.

And that was how they ended up here.

Adrian's hand rose up from the table, which subsequently went to his head and ruffled his golden blond hair. He gave an exasperated sigh as blue eyes focused on the lady sitting in front of him, them reflecting a no-nonsense aura as it stared into hazel ones.

_She had better come up with a good excuse for this..._

"So! What do you have to say about this... little extract of yours?"

-888888-

Until that moment, Natalie hadn't been paying much attention to the severity of the situation. In fact, she was totally oblivious to whatever the secretary was droning on about. Let the sermon continue... she would always find some ways to catch up. That was something she's good at. Instead, the front cover of the magazine caught her eye.

It was a woman. Her sharp features and her pale complexion contrasted with the pale cream satin dress which she was modeling for. Loose strands of purple hair fell from her elaborate French twist onto her shoulders, some partially obscuring her mystical eyes. The full, red pout of her lips made her all the more alluring as she flirted with the camera. The lighting set up reflected a warm glow in her eyes and highlighted her violet locks, giving her an ethereal approach – A man's prefect Angel.

Splashed across on top of the magazine was "Natalie – The Fashion World's New Catch" She liked the picture immediately.

_Houjun really did a good job this time, though I still think that the lipstick shade is still a little too dark for me._ _Maybe that's why Adrian called me over here today..._

Natalie mused as a smile tugged at her lips.

"So! What do you have to say about this... little extract of yours?"

The familiar masculine voice snapped her back to reality as she found herself staring into the cold blue eyes of Adrian.

Her smile disappeared as soon as it came.

_Guess that wasn't about the photoshoot._

Natalie fumbled for something to say "Err...... bad?" That was the only thing which she could come out with after hearing the warning tone in Adrian's voice

"Try that again. This time put more emphasis on the 'bad' word." Blue eyes flashed angrily.

_Strike one_

"Can I have a look at the article again? I... sort of missed hearing the more important parts..." She laughed nervously as Adrian grabbed the magazine from the startled secretary's hands and practically threw it at her.

_Strike two_

Natalie did a very unfeminine thing – she gulped.

-888888-

Adrian saw her mouth gaped open as she scanned through the article and was amazed at how her expression could switch so quickly: flattered, amazement, shocked, and finally something which he wanted to see – anger.

For the first time in that day, he gave a small smirk of satisfaction.

_THIS time she's paying attention._

Then he saw another expression – Natalie's pink, glossy lips curved into a what-he-would-have-continued-to-do-so-if-she-didn't-gave-that-too smirk.

-888888-

Natalie read the article and placed the magazine back onto the table, slowly and deliberately. She knew Adrian too well to admit that it was her fault, it would just sent him smirking all the while he lectured he on her behaviour. Not to add that she would rather wake up and find herself covered in warts (Natalie smacked herself) than to see him triumph in this situation. There, she put on her most Confident, know-it-all Smirk.

"This is the best they got for me?" Natalie frowned as she pretended to read the article more closely.

"They didn't even add the fact about the last guy... he tried committing suicide you know. Jumped into one of the hotspots on Mt. Fuji and got himself scalded instead." If she had been looking at Adrian at that precise moment, she would have seen his jaw hinges go loose. (a/n: Nakago with his jaws dropped. Cool stuff.)

"Weeellllll, it's the truth right? And they already wrote so many juicy bits about me. I might as well call them to add more real life action." Her eyes gazed at Adrian innocently as she picked up the sleek, cordless phone lying on Adrian's desk.

_The scaring tactic really works sometimes._

"Wait." The emotionless reply made her stopped, and she wished she didn't.

Adrian was certainly not amused. In fact, he eyes looked as though they could heat up Mt. Fuji and sent it erupting all over again. That wasn't what she had planned.

"I will call them myself."

_I guess this is strike three._

Natalie gave an uneasy smile as she handed over the phone meekly, not daring to say anything at all as she watched Adrian dialed the number. Her plan had just dissolved like sugar into hot tea.

_STUPID stupid me!!!!! Should not have told Adrian that!!!_

But the next few words stopped whatever she was thinking.

"Hello. This is Elites'Adrian White. Yes...about that article on Natalie..."

There was an uncomfortable silence.

"Of course, I know that your magazine is only writing what the readers want. So here's a little update for you all: Natalie had just been accepted by Wings Records to feature in Andy Wong's latest music video. Yes, THAT Andy."

"I... WHAT?!" Natalie gasped.

----------

In Yokohama, far away from the Elites studio, a couple watched their little daughter playing in the city park.

"Dad, I am tired of playing the swings. I wanna go home please" The little girl said as she ran towards her parents. Her father laughed as he carried her up and gave her a swing-up before placing her onto his shoulders. She giggled as she attempted to ruffle up his olive-green hair.

"Ai-chan! Don't do that! If that is going to happen to me everytime, I am not going to carry you anymore! You are getting heavier too..." The man groaned as though to emphasize that fact.

"Taka! I never see you complain when you do that to Yurin... and that was when she was three years old!!! Ai is still two and a half!" Miaka laughed along as she stood up from the bench.

"Ai-chan's a handful! She's like... ten times more hyperactive than any average kid her age!" Taka protested as they begin to walk out of the park.

Miaka's emerald eyes gave a slightly mysterious glint as she replied "Ah... but you and I are not really ordinary parents ne?"

"Hai hai...Suzaku no Miko..."

"Taka... !!!!"

Miaka was about to retort back when she suddenly caught sight of a little shop house at the entrance of the park. Taka followed her gaze and smiled.

_Typical Miaka... hungry again._

"You want to get something to eat? I will wait here." He offered, but Miaka already grabbed his arm and dragged him over there.

"Whoa!!! Careful! I still have Ai-chan with me!" Taka said as the little girl on his shoulder gave a slight squeal of surprise at the sudden pace. Miaka flinched slightly when she realized that, but what she saw totally took her by surprised.

_Shocked is the word to put it more precisely._

Stuck onto the window of the shop house was this month's Tokyo Fashion Magazine poster. But it was neither how the picture was taken nor the beige satin dress. It was the person in the poster. The pale complexion, the familiar violet locks. And who would forget that distinct mole under the left eye? Could it be...

"Nuriko...?" Taka's voice barely came up to a whisper as he stared at the poster.

_That is precisely what I had in mind._

_

* * *

End Chapter 1 _

Oh man... This chapter is a little short to some. But chapters will grow longer soon nods nods Oh yeah, Adrian IS Nakago's character – that I can confirm with you all. But why is Natalie working there in the first place? smiles Her secrets are plentiful. And I am tired already. Wanna sleep. )


	2. Lucky Bands and Beauty Products

**A Second Chance Perhaps?**

Author: Hfan

Disclaimer: As usual, Characters are not mine at all (though I wish they are..) They belong to Watase Yuu. There, I said it.

Notes: Boo! Haha? It's supposed to be a joke. Laugh please? Okay I am crapping. Anyway I am going to CHINA!!! TO VISIT THE FORBIDDEN CITY!!! TO SEE IF HOTOHORI EVER EXIST!!! -coughs- Boy do I need a doctor. I m stressed from studying. So doctors come get me! -psychopath grin-

Anyone likes replies? Haha… here goes!

ChibiNuriko310: Domo arigato! -bows down-

Luvyuyu: Ahahaha! Well, I already wrote "Yaoi or not, you decided due to COMPLICATIONS in the story." Just keep reading and you will know why! -grins even wider- As for the pregnancy… haha, interesting idea. But it's too soon for that. Andy is from China while Natalie is from Japan. We will see how things progress ne?

Minuiko: Heez, Natalie is not the character's real name. It's just her stage name. (Her real name will be released later) Haha… I was planning to release Andy's character in this chapter – yes he's Hotohori! Oh yeah, about Natalie being a girl… -mysterious smile- as I already said, Nat-chan has her secrets… Just continue reading yeah? Thanks a lot!!! -hugs in advance-

* * *

Chapter 2: Lucky Bands and Beauty Products

"I… WHAT?!" Natalie exclaimed as Adrian calmly placed the phone back on to the receiver.

"Just like what I said. You will be working with Andy Wong…"

_Andy… who?_

Looking at Natalie's obvious clueless-ness in the whole situation, Adrian decided to give her a brief rundown on the person whom she would be working.

"Andy Wong is somehow like you. He's the most sought after idol singer in the music industry now. He's from China, but currently in Japan to give his debut concert and of course," He inclined his head towards Natalie "to look for a suitable model for his music video."

"But why Japan? Why not somewhere easier like CHINA? There's like one third of the world's population there" Natalie prided herself to remember such geographical knowledge.

_Owww…easy girl, it's YOUR job which you are questioning…_

_But it's a FACT!_

_Sigh And I am quarreling with myself_

_Oh._

Natalie mentally slapped her other self (_I hope you feel that.)_ as she waited for Adrian to reply. Her manager, however, wasn't really into mind playing games, as what he replied later made her felt like it was her last warning before she got kicked out of his company.

"As I already mentioned earlier – He's just like you. He doesn't make the decisions, his manager does it. And he doesn't complain."

----------

"So! Everyone knows what they are supposed to do now right? And Andy…Andy! Are you listening to me?"

The young man's head was nestled just nicely in his arms on the table, some of his raven strands partially hiding part of his facial features. The sunlight which shone through the window landed on his long, dark cascade of hair, highlighting their natural colour – brown. His eyes were closed and his breathing was deep. At the mention of his name, his head jerked up slightly.

"Andy please don't tell me that you had been sleeping throughout the whole meeting…" Rose sighed as she sat down beside him. Andy merely answered back with a soft groan as he leaned back on to the chair. Hands swept away loose hair strands from his face, revealing amber eyes which reflected tiredness from within. Even though she was irritated at his lack of attention, Rose could not help but marveled at how he still managed to make himself look so perfect at being woken up by her.

Rose gave a small huff. "Really! The flight only took seven hours! So don't get to the jet-lag thing with me!"

Andy replied by stifling a yawn with the back of his hand.

_GOD! He even made yawning looked as though it was the coolest thing to do… _

"Oh just listen" she tried hitting him on the shoulder, but was stopped when his hand grabbed hers, gently. Rose gave a small smile. _Finally!_ She looked up to find deep, golden eyes looking back at her.

-888888-

Andy gave Rose a slight smile in return as he released her hand. That did not really wake him up, but she was his manager after all. And it was he in the first place to fall asleep in the midst of a meeting.

"Here, tie that mess with this" Rose took a blue rubber band from her wrist and passed it over to him.

"It's not a mess, just loose. Can I have the brown colour one? It matches my suit..." He pointed at the multiple bands on Rose's wrist, something which she carried along with her all the time for his and her conveniences. She laughed, took out another band and passed it to him. He then tied his hair up into a loose ponytail. His ever persistent fringe flopped down again, giving him an overall slightly relaxed yet stylish look.

Rose raised her eyes slightly. "You know… you should try to tie it up a little tighter and higher up. That will give you a neater, less girly appearance."

Andy was horrified at that suggestion. "No way!!! Pulling your hair back tighter will tend to end up hurting your scalp!! And there will be more hair loss!!! I can't bear to see my gorgeous tresses falling out!!! And anyway," He added,"I look much better like this!"

"Narcissist…"

Andy chose not the answer that.

"Oh yeah, in case you were wondering, I DID hear what you instructed me – I am supposed to be involved in an interview tomorrow evening and my concert will be on this coming Saturday, so I will need to do a round of rehearsal on Friday afternoon." He recited out.

"Nice try, but you forgot something."

_What?_

"There will be an audition tomorrow concerning a model who will be working with you in your new music video."

"What?!" This time his thoughts echoed out "Why Japan? Why not back in CHINA? There's like one third of the world's population in our country." (a/n Sounds familiar huh?)

Rose, like all managers when dealing with disagreeable employees, gave a small sigh. One day she would start teaching Andy all about marketing and advertising skills which made him into what he is now. _That's what I call market demand._

"Dear, this is the entertainment industry we are talking about. And your new songs are based mainly for the Japanese population here." She took out his pre-recorded songs and passed it over to him "For heaven's sake they are Japanese lyrics! Of course we will need to get someone from here to appeal to the major crowd! Natalie happens to be quite an interesting subject now…" Rose gave a slight pause as she thought of something else to add. "And Japan is renowned for their wide range of facial and beauty products, which are perfect for a narcissist like you! Now that's one reason for you to stay longer!"

"I am NOT that fond of myself!" Andy insisted as he stood up "Do whatever you like then! I need to go out now."

"For the beauty products?"

"No! To visit a few friends of mine whom I haven't seen for a long time..." he replied as he walked out of the meeting room.

_Natalie… she sounds just like another normal lady in the entertainment industry… hopes she's much better than she sounds…_

_----------_

At Adrian's remark, Natalie only managed a weak smile. This wasn't the first time when Adrian got angry at her, but it was the first time whereby she felt slightly threatened by his presence.

"…I understand. So what am I supposed to do now?" She said in a small voice. Adrian's smirk returned as he reached out for a folder on his desk and passed it over to Natalie. As she picked it up and began to flip through it, he started.

"This folder contains a much better biography of Andy Wong and his works. But I will like you to focus more on his new song – Boku no Uchuu ni Kima ga Iru. That will be the song which you will be working on. Just take the night to browse through and get the right emotions for that video."

"When will the auditions be?"

"Tomorrow."

Now it was Natalie's jaws which dropped. "What?! Tomorrow!? But that's so fast! And too soon!"

Adrian merely shrugged "That wasn't my idea too. I received that information only yesterday. Andy just arrived today too. So there isn't much difference for both sides. Anyway you are good at coming up with last minute things right?" There was a slight hint of amusement in his voice. "Well!" He continued, "If there's nothing else right now, you can take the day off to go through the scripts. Leave the portfolio assembling to Houjun and me. You will get the job."

-888888-

He watched as Natalie left his office at his dismissal. And when the door finally closed behind her, he allowed himself to ease the throbbing in his head by massaging his temples furiously. It was tiring.

Everything had been going smoothly for Adrian's company. A few months down the road, he noticed Natalie when they both attended a certain fashion show and he realized the potential in her which he knew would create a scene in the fashion world. Natalie was practically MADE to be a model. Her 177cm height was perfect! And not to forget a stunning figure that rivaled Barbie's. (Just tone down a little on the bust. She's gorgeous.) The aura of elegance and confidence in which she eluded appealed to him immediately as he requested for her to join his company.

Initially, Natalie was a little skeptical towards joining them. _Or was it the fact that she didn't really want to reveal her personal particulars? _It too a lot of persuasion and agreements before she finally signed the contract – She get to keep her identities (For fear of endangering her own life. Rich people…) and they would get her as their new star. Of course, Natalie was not her real name either.

_That took PLENTY of covering up! And she has to do this to me now…_

A slight cough beside him took his thoughts away as he turned around.

"Kae…"

The slim, bespectacled secretary gave a shy smile as she started "Sir… I am wondering if you will let me do the portfolio for Natalie instead. You looked very tired these few days… and I think that you should take a break…" A pair of perfectly arched brows creased together worriedly as smoky-grey eyes gazed through the lens onto Adrian.

That blond hair man, however, was staring at Kae as though he had just discovered a diamond mine.

_That's it!_

Kae was tall, a little taller than Natalie though. Her long, wine coloured hair, which was usually tied up into a tight bun, was flowing freely down to her waist today and clipped up at the sides with diamante flower clips. Red eye shadow lined her eyelids and ended in an upward stroke, giving her a slight oriental outlook. Her lips were tinted with plum-red gloss. For the first time, Adrian actually paid attention to her body. The tailored, navy blue suit fitted her form perfectly; revealing slight curves which were mainly hidden by the thick, starched cloth material. Anyone could tell that she was a unique beauty. He himself was now wondering how come he didn't manage to see that in her at that time when she applied for the secretary post in the company.

_For the strangest reason, I felt that I had known you before…_

"Can you… take off your glasses?" He finally managed to say.

Kadari was a little taken back by that sentence, but she did as she was told. Off came the rimless glasses, and Adrian saw what he wanted to see – the pink blush which appeared on her cheeks and the slightly parted lips, embarrassed, yet sultry look which could make men go weak in the knees. (He himself was already experiencing a little of that. A good thing he was sitting in his chair.) If she could just work on her confidence level…

_Even an unearthed diamond requires cutting and polishing to achieve a certain grade…_

He gently reached out a hand and gently stroked one side of her cheek. That made her blushed even more. He gave an amused smile.

"Kae… how would you like to be a model?" sapphire-blue eyes met with stormy-grey ones, "I know of a perfect event that will make you a star in no time…"

----------

At the Sukinami's residence, Taka was fixing two cups of hot blackcurrant tea in the kitchen. He felt a slight tug on his trousers and looked down to see his daughter.

"Daddy, can I have some strawberry milk please?" Ai asked. Taka chuckled as he went to the refrigerator and brought out the carton of Dairy Queen's strawberry milk, but gave a puzzled look as he shook the carton. A light slosh was heard inside – more than half of it was already gone.

_We bought this today after heading to the park right…?_

"Taka! Can you bring the remaining strawberry milk to me?" Miaka's voice rang out from the dining room into the kitchen.

_Forget what I said. With Miaka, nothing survives more than a day in the kitchen._

"NO way!!! Ai-chan will be having the remaining milk. It was her who asked for it in the first place!" Taka poured the remaining milk into a smaller cup and gave it to Ai. He then took the 2 cups of tea and headed into the dining room. Ai went to her own room.

"There's tea though." He smiled and glanced at the table in front of her. A full-blown portrait photo of Nuriko stared back at him, accompanied by an article at the following page from the opened magazine in front of Miaka.

"He's called Natalie know. Or rather…she" Miaka said as she sipped her tea cautiously. "From what I read here, she has made quite a reputation for herself as a model in the fashion industry, both good and bad."

"Nuriko's a GIRL now?!" Taka goggled at the picture in front of him. The chest seemed real enough.

Miaka shrugged "Don't look at me. I had been fooled twice before by him and Hotohori. He might still be a guy for all I know, him having this passion for cross-dressing in the book."

Taka sweatdropped at her comment. Before he could reply, the doorbell sounded. He started towards the door, but Miaka beat him to it.

"What's the rush?"

She replied with a sheepish grin "One - I ordered pizza for dinner. Two – I am hungry." She then opened the door, expecting to help out a poor delivery guy struggling with 5 boxes of pizza. But standing in front of her was…

"Hotohori!" She gasped.

The man gave a rich laugh. "Not Hotohori anymore Miaka. It's Andy… make sure you remember that." He gently reminded her.

* * *

Hfan: Yeah… I know. Very long intro of Andy and part of Sukinami household, but I feel bad writing TOO much for one chapter alone! (It added up to 9 pages in M Word!) If I decided to continue this chapter I will take an even longer time to post it! Oh yeah, I added another new character – Kae aka Soi our model-to-be for Elites! She's going to compete with Natalie sooner or later. Really sorry for Nuriko fans, there wasn't anything much on her in this chapter, but the next one will be practically STUFFED with Natalie scenes. Hfan's saving the best for later!

I also came back from China! (Now you know how long had I been brainstorming and writing.)

Next Chapter: Natalie's reflections and her meeting with Andy Wong. (Additional characters: Chichiri/Houjun and Tomo)


	3. Your Highness

**A Second Chance Perhaps?**

Author: Hfan

Notes: Natalie (Nuriko) is the current hot item in the fashion world, and things seem to be getting even better! In fact, her manager had just gave her an appointment to audition for the lead female cast alongside current idol Andy Won (Hotohori) in his new music video "Boku no Uchuu ni Kimi ga Iru". However, Natalie has no idea that this video will not only change her perception in love, it will only reveal something which had resided within her, something which had followed her through recarination…

Updates: No more com for me… my dad just got the family a new laptop! rejoices and this will be the first document which I will be writing out! Thanks for the great reviews! Initially I was about to thank you guys, but I had forgotten what I was supposed to say… so sorry ;;; But still thanks lots! hugs

* * *

Chapter 3: Your Highness 

Andy stepped into the Sukinami's living room. Although it had been three years since he had visited, little changes had been made.

"SO… where's the little girl whom you had been telling me all the time?" Andy removed his coat as he sat casually onto the leather sofa.

"Ai-chan? She's already walking and talking… and currently sleeping." Miaka laughed as she closed the door. "What brings you here now? I didn't see any of your articles on the newspaper today."

_Miaka looks as radiant as ever._

"I just arrived this morning. As you know, the paper press is always one day late of the current news. Where's Taka by the way?"

Behind Miaka, Taka gave a small cough and smiled slightly.

_And Taka… well…he just looks the same… nothing much._

Andy nodded to Taka to show his acknowledgement of the other man. He didn't really like Taka, and it wasn't due to his… or rather Hotohori's memories. Sure, they did contribute a fair amount to his dislike for his fellow seishi after Andy fully recalled them, but it was mainly due to their first meeting in Tokyo…

-Memories-

It was Andy's first time to Japan, and he wants to live it up as much as possible before returning to China that night. Shopping was long done on the first day, and all he wanted was to enjoy a good stroll along Tokyo's city park. The air was much cleaner than in China, and definitely cleaner overall. And to top it all – he was a nobody here, unlike in China, where he literally shot to fame with his first album.

Even before that he was already a much sought after model, with his long raven locks and amber eyes. The air of male elegance which he carried with him easily attracted attention with various fashion industries. Andy, however, wasn't at all interested in just showing a pretty face. He wanted to do something which he like – singing. He succeeded, along with many bonuses – endorsements deals, beauty products, endless pampering and of course, hordes of female fans who would do anything to get near him. And THAT was what Andy DID NOT want. One moment he was walking across the streets of China, and the next minute…

"ANDY!"

One squeal of excitement, and he found himself having to squeeze himself out of the incoming crowd of fans before they could throw themselves onto him.

That was China. And he didn't really enjoy the attention after that. Rather, he decided to head off to Japan after he heard his mother telling him about the wondrous shopping districts there. Furthermore, he always had some affection towards that country… the culture and the language, not forgetting the beauty products. But here was the catch – No fans. Perfect.

The skies slowly melted into a warm, golden hue as evening sets in Tokyo. As Andy walked along (Alone if you please) the quiet greenery of the park, enjoying the cooling breeze which welcomes the evening… when…

"Hotohori?"

Now that was new. No one ever called him that. For a moment Andy thought that that name wasn't referring to him. But next came up a hand which gave him a sharp twist on the shoulder, forcing him to turn around and was immediately followed by an excited squeal.

"I KNEW IT WOULD BE YOU HOTOHORI!" Olive coloured eyes gazed up ecstatically into his own as he found himself being hugged tightly by a red hair woman.

"What are you doing to Miaka you lecher!" A male voice rang out. Andy barely had time to register his shock at being wrapped in the arms of a total stranger when suddenly a fist came into contact with his jawbone, sending him tumbling a few feet away. The woman gave another squeal, this time in shock.

"TAKA! NO!"

Andy sat up as he felt something salty in his mouth dripping out to one side. He brought up his hand to the side of his mouth and wiped off the blood while managing to get up. He vaguely remembered the woman shouting at the man, who was now staring at him as though he was someone whom had materialized out of mid-air.

"Hotoh --- Heika-sama…" was all he uttered as he continued to gaze him shock at Andy.

Andy was wondering what kind of a lunatic would first hit him, and then decided to address him as some royalty.

_There's no way am I going to return back here if people here behaves this way!_

Before the man could say another word, Andy went up to him and delivered one big blow to his face. He stumbled.

"That is for not apologizing after you ruined my face and suit." Andy gave a low growl as he swept his hair away from his eyes. "Firstly, I DID NOT hug her. She hugged me. And secondly, I am not Hotohori!"

The man said nothing but gazed back at him suspiciously. Meanwhile, the woman ran forwards and grabbed Andy's arm.

"Stop it!" She gave him a pleading look. For a moment, Andy faintly recalled those olive greens eyes… those eyes, he had seen them before.

_Speaking of which, I think I had seen this woman before…_

"He hit me first… and I didn't do anything to you…" Andy lowered down his arm as he felt the woman's grip tightened.

"I know… and I can explain it!" She took a deep breath and continued "Why don't you come over to our house for dinner then? Will it make up for Taka's mistake? Please…?"

Andy gave her another quizzical look. He barely knew her then… yet he felt some strange attachment to her… it was as though he knew her long time ago… and their relationship was more than ordinary.

"Who exactly are you…?" He heard himself asking.

The woman gave another gasp of surprise. "Oh my goodness! I have not introduced myself properly yet! I am Sukinami Miaka… and this," She points to the man who was still sitting on the ground. "He's my husband Sukinami Taka. What is your name then?" She gave him a sincere smile.

"…It's Andy, Andy Won…"

"Well then Andy, are you free to come over for dinner?"

"…"

"Why…? Are you still mad at Taka? Or are you busy?"

"No… it's just that I got to catch a flight back home to China tonight."

Andy could have sworn he saw the look of clear disappointment on Miaka's face as he told her the reason. That did it.

"Well…. Maybe I can postpone the flight till tomorrow…" he found himself giving her a sheepish grin.

-Memories end-

_Nope. Definitely not the most heart-warming welcome I received._

Andy gave a small frown as that memory came to a full stop. After accepting Miaka's dinner invitation, he found himself being exposed to more than just the reason for their irrational behavior. It was the revelation of his past as being a well-respected, youngest, forth emperor of a make-believe country in a book called The Universe of the Four Gods, as well as being the second Seishi, Hotohori, which Miaka discovered during her time in there as a Priestess.

_Bizarre yet eerily familiar … but true at any cost. I was Hotohori… and now I am Andy Won._

"Andy! Would you like tea or coffee?" he heard Miaka asked.

"Or strawberry milk?" Taka asked innocently.

"Taka!" She cried indignantly. Just then, the doorbell rang again. Miaka immediately opened the door to welcome her highly anticipated dinner, her offer to serve drinks being completely erased from her mind.

"I… guess I will make myself a cup of blueberry tea then." Andy gave a slight laugh as he headed towards the kitchen.

_Miaka… you never change…_

--------

Natalie gave a huge sigh of relief as soon as she stepped out of Adrian's office. Sure, she had expected a _slight_ disapproval from Adrian about that interview, but she didn't expect his reaction earlier on. She, Natalie, had been the most favourite pet of Adrian among all the other bevy of beauties with their long slender legs and flirtatious nature, and he had always been rather relaxed with her. ..

_Now I am feeling guilty…_

She glanced back towards Adrian's office, and was shocked at what she saw. Through the cracks of the blinds covering up the office window, Natalie could make out two silhouettes standing _very close _together, and she could have sworn she saw Adrian's hand reaching out to touch Kae's cheek…

"OF ALL THE NERVE!" Natalie cried out angrily as she spun around and angrily marched away from Adrian's office to the corridors.

_And to think I was beginning to feel guilty for being so demanding! He found himself some new pet that _

"Hey Nat!"

"Huh?" Natalie jumped as she heard someone calling her name from the other end of the corridor. Looking up, she saw a tall man running towards her. He was dressed in a form-fitting black T-shirt underneath a white cotton shirt which was loosely buttoned. A pair of black pants completed his attire. His long hair was tied up in a high ponytail.

"You okay girl? You looked as though you could slay a dragon!" Chuuin stopped in front of her, pausing to catch his breath. "So who's the person who dares to disobey her Highness?"

Chuuin was the head makeup artist and hairstylist for Elites' Studio. From doing slight makeup touches to brighten up one's face to changing a normal girl into a smoldering seductress, his skills were well respected by both models and fellow makeup artists alike. Natalie especially like Chuuin, he always had a soft spot for her ("Nat darling… you have such healthy complexion! You can jolly well go without makeup!), and he's probably the only one inside Elites who managed to understand her well enough to cater to her styling needs. Not to mention, it was him who invited Natalie to the fashion show where she was spotted by Adrian. Natalie found herself smiling at him.

"Oh Chuuin! Adrian just told me off for a _mere comment _which I made in a magazine interview! And that was probably because he had finally found someone else better than me!" She told him huffily. Chuuin however, gave a small frown.

"Nat… I don't think Adrian would do something like that… He _always favoured _you!" He looked around before continuing, "And secondly, who else would he go after? There's no one in here… I should know because I am put in charge of all of you."

"Tell that to his secretary…" Natalie muttered. Chuuin's jaws dropped.

"You mean _Kae's _also going to become a model!" He cried out in disbelief. "No wonder when Adrian called me to do your makeup just now, he mentioned that I will also be working on another subject! Well, we will show him!" Chuuin grabbed Natalie's hand and steered her towards the makeup studio, occasionally mutter things like "I don't believe it! Her!" and "He actually prefers a normal secretary to my masterpiece!" and finally…

"I don't get it! I had been working for him all these years and he prefers a mere secretary to me, the highly sought after Chuuin, who would go through any obstacles with him in order to make Elites the top model studio!" Chuuin exclaimed as he settled Natalie onto a chair in the makeup studio. "Why can't he just _open up_ his eyes just a little wider!" he sighed.

Natalie gave a slight giggle. Of all things known about Chuuin, the most notorious one would have to be his homosexuality, and there's no prize for guessing who he had the hots for. For a certain period of time when Natalie fist came in, Chuuin became slightly jealous of her being so close to Adrian, but that soon cleared up when she swore that she would _never_ be interested in such a (she mentioned something which made Chuuin said "NAT!") person. Now Kae looked as though she would be topping the charts on his hitmen's list.

"Hey Chuuin, that was only the first time I saw Adrian doing that! Before that he was totally oblivious to her…" Natalie tried to comfort him, but Chuuin merely ignored it and continued,

"It's not fair! I mean… she has her _female assets_ which place her at a highly advantageous position!" He gestured at his slim but flat frame. "It's not all fair in love and war!"

Natalie had wanted to remind him that Adrian wasn't the sort of guy who would fall for another guy, but the next sentence from Chuuin sent her choking.

"Maybe I should get implants don't you think? I think that's the only think which I lacked… come on I am rather attractive too… Nat! Are you okay!" Chuuin placed a hand on Natalie's shoulder. She looked rather pale.

_Implants… operations…_

"Nat! You are worrying me!"

Natalie snapped out of her thoughts. She focused and saw Chuuin looking at her in concern. Forcing out a smile, she said "Nah, it's nothing…you just reminded me of someone…"

"But Nat…" Chuuin tried asking but was cut off by her.

"Come on! Makeup time! You DO want Adrian to notice you right? Well, here I am waiting to be lavish by your talent!" That did it. Chuuin completely forgot about Natalie's reactions and started fussing with her face.

"Hmm… your face is already pale enough… so I think I will just liven it up with some loose shimmering powder." He muttered as he unscrewed a tub of loose powder and started dusting Natalie's face with the blusher.

"Err, Chuuin? Exactly what am I getting my makeup done for? You haven't given me the details yet, and Adrian didn't really mention anything other than an audition tomorrow with some foreign singer."

Chuuin's eyes widen. "You mean you don't know that the audition tomorrow is just a walk-in introduction? Your portfolio is going to be taken today, complete with costumes and makeup!"

_Costumes…? My… what did Adrian get me into?_

Just then, a young lady burst into the makeup studio carrying a heap of assorted cloths and sashes in a myriad of colours.

---------

"…So you are here this time to find a suitable model for your new music video?" Miaka asked as Andy finished telling them about his plans. Andy nodded.

"So who will it be?" She asked curiously. Andy smiled and replied.

"If given a choice, I would immediately choose you, Suzaku no Miko…" his eyes glinted in amusement as he saw his former priestess blushed. Beside her, Taka gave a slight cough and stared at him.

_Okay… geez! Can't he even take a joke?_

"Haha…don't worry Taka, I was only joking. Anyway I don't think I will even be given a chance to choose my model, my manager does it." Andy smiled at him, "… I hope you do understand, that whatever feelings that I had with Miaka in my previous life," he hesitated, "remained in my previous life…"

There was an awkward silence as Andy finished his sentence. Taka was still staring at him while Miaka was looking down at her own empty plate as though something interesting had suddenly materialized on it.

_And I thought it would be better to tell that to Taka…_

"Mum…? I am hungry…"

Andy turned and saw a little girl who just came out of her room. She had a shock of red hair, but her eyes…they were purple.

_Taka's eyes…_

"So is that your little girl?" Andy smiled as he stood up and walked towards the young girl. She didn't flinched when he knelt down in front of her. Instead, she gave him a bright smile which welcomed him. "What's your name?"

_Not that I don't know…but then it's good enough to start a conversation with Ai…_

"I am Ai-chan! Oneesan, who are you?" She giggled before adding, "You are very pretty ne!"

_What the…_

Andy was taken back by her boldness and her reference to him as a girl. Suddenly, he heard a muffled laughter from the dining table and turned around. Miaka was burying her face into Taka's shoulder, who was clearly trying to suppress his laughter too.

_Sometimes I do think that Miaka's assumption that he was a lady was not a mistake…_

"Ai-chan!" He saw Miaka got up and walked towards his direction. The little girl immediately ran towards her mother for a hug. "Ai-chan…" Miaka continued "Andy's not a girl… he's a man." Round amethyst eyes stared back in disbelief at Andy, then back at her mother.

"But mum… she's got long hair!"

_No way man… I am NOT going to cut my hair up just because it makes me look like a girl… and I look suave with it!_

Miaka smiled back at Ai. "Ai-chan, does Andy-san look pretty?"

_Hey hey!_

"Hai!"

"Do you know Andy sings very well too?"

"Really! Andy oniisan! Can you sing to me?" Ai-chan beamed excitedly. Andy could not help but gave her a grin. He went over to her and produced 3 ticket stubs.

"You got your wish, princess," He passed the tickets to the little girl "3 concert tickets plus backstage pass for my first ever concert held here in Japan!"

This time Miaka's eyes widened. "Really…? Wow…thanks!"

That was why Andy had wanted to head over to the Sukinami's place. It was his first concert here, and these were the two (now three) people whom he would want to be present at his debut. He smiled back at Miaka, and then at Taka.

"Now both of you get busy and entertain your daughter. I guess I need to go off now. There's a magazine interview later tonight, and Rose will be after my blood if I am late." Andy walked over to the coat hanger and took down his trench coat. Miaka and Taka merely nodded, but Ai smiled and waved the tickets happily at him.

"Bye bye Andy oniisan!" She called out.

-888888-

"You know what..?" Taka finally said after Andy left. "I think he still likes you." Miaka only waved it away while clearing up the plates on the dining table.

"Rubbish… there are so many woman out there who's after him. And furthermore, I am already married with a gorgeous man and a sweet daughter." She laughed, and continued. "I actually have this feeling then that Suzaku will be arranging something interesting for him the next time we meet again. And here we are!"

Taka couldn't help but smile at his wife. "Sometimes you can be too optimistic!"

"This time I know that something good will happen." She replied confidently as she started to clear away the pizza boxes. Suddenly, she gave a small exclamation. Taka came up to her worriedly.

"Did you hurt yourself! What's wrong!"

Miaka only pointed at the magazine in front of her, which was underneath the pizza boxes earlier. There, Natalie's face peered back at them, the glossy front cover reflecting the lights, giving her an ethereal look, her smile seductive and mysterious.

"I forgot to tell Andy about Nuriko…"

----------

"So can I open my eyes now Chuuin?" Natalie was getting restless and she wanted to know what the theme of this photo shoot. Chuuin had been rather secretive about it as he asked her to close her eyes while he did her makeup, only telling her that she would look wayyyyyy better than Kae.

"Yep I am finally done!" Chuuin gave a final dab to her lips as he turned her around to face the mirror. "Introducing her highness!"

Natalie opened her eyes and gasped at what her reflection. Her face was pale, almost porcelain-liked as Chuuin had applied a thin coat of shimmer powder on to her skin. Then, he applied a raspberry blush to both sides of her cheeks. To her hazel eyes, he had applied a pale pink shade to her upper eyelids, while her lower eyelids were lined with an orchid yellow shade. Spicy red eyeliner was carefully drawn onto her eyelids, ending with an upward stroke at the outer end of her eyes. To top it all, Chuuin had dabbed a shimmery, cherry red gloss to her lips.

"Your skin is in perfect condition as usual, so I merely accentuated your features. What do you think?" Chuuin asked happily.

_I look like a whore…_

Chuuin looked hurt "Hey! I spent a long time on that!"

_Did I say that out loud?_

"Oh Chuuin! I am so sorry… but it looks slightly overdone…it's very…oriental…" Natalie tried to find something else to say, but she only find herself staring at her reflection.

_This is weird… but I actually think it looks acceptable!_

"A fantastic looking whore I should add," Natalie turned around to see Doulin smiling at her. Doulin was only slightly younger than her, and she was the stylist behind most Elites' models. Her svelte and heavily endowed figure was the envy of many other models. Natalie had asked her once why hadn't she applied to be a model, and her answer was simple – she was too short. However, that didn't hamper her dream to be in the fashion scene, and now she one of the most celebrated stylist in the fashion industry.

"If you want me to put it more nicely, you look like a concubine from the imperial harem!" Doulin gave a small giggle before she continued, "Of course, Andy will make a fine emperor! Come on your highness, time to get dressed up!"

She pulled Natalie out of her chair and started to take off the dress which Natalie was wearing. Then Doulin started wrapping an assorted array of garments around her, occasionally muttering "Nah…"and "There!"

"Doulin dear, exactly why am I getting mummified?" Natalie sighed as she looked at Doulin, who was struggling to tie up a long piece of sash without allowing the rest of the cloths on her body to fall off.

"I already told you Nat, You are going to be a concubine in the imperial harem" Doulin replied impatiently as she held on to the sash. "Have you flipped through the folders Adrian gave you? The music which will be aired is going to be a Japanese-Chinese fusion music. Japanese lyrics with Oriental music, and you are going to be the lead female, robes and all."

"Oh…" Natalie did not open up the folder, least read it. But from the sounds of it, it seemed fun and dreamy all at once. She glanced down and saw Doulin still struggling with the robes. Instinctively, she took the sash from her and started tying it around her waist - One loop over the other loop, one end of the sash to go through them, and then pull the sash to tighten the knot.

"Can you pass that piece of costume gem?" Natalie raised one of her hand towards Doulin, who was staring back at her. She gave a slight jump when Natalie's hand jerk impatiently and quickly passed her the piece of round jade. Natalie then thread both ends of the sash through the centre of the jade and continued tying the rest of the sash.

"There!" Natalie gave a triumphant sigh as she finished tying the elaborated Chinese knot. "What do you think about it?" She looked up, and saw both Doulin and Chuuin, who were now staring at her as though they had never seen her before.

_Did I do anything wrong?_

Before she could ask, Doulin spoke up first "Nat… when did you learn how to tie that sash?"

"I…" Natalie started, but nothing came out after that.

_So when did I learn how to tie that? I have never seen that thing in my life!_

"…I… I just know it…" She finished lamely. Doulin gave another gasp of surprise as she fingered her silver tresses. Chuuin merely picked up another piece of garment from the stack of clothes and showed it to Natalie.

"Nat… do you know how to put this on?" He asked, holding up another piece of cloth. It was a gauzy, flowing material, which looked like a yukata.

"It is the outmost layer for the Chinese dress. It is almost like a coat; it has two strings inside to fasten the coat properly. It is only worn by Chinese ladies from the higher social class" Natalie found herself answering even though she had never seen that garment before. Both Chuuin and Doulin were impressed. Chuuin went over to Natalie and wrapped that fabric around her, only to receive another remark from her.

"Chuuin… that goes the other way…"

"Natalie! That was so amazing! How ever did you learn all these? Even I have problems recognizing the different layers of clothing!" Doulin exclaimed as Natalie helped Chuuin removed the garment. Natalie gave a weak smile in reply.

"Lucky guess..?" She said. But deep down, Natalie was slightly spooked by the knowledge which she never knew she had.

_I… I just know how to wear it… almost as though I had been wearing them for a long time…_

* * *

Author Notes: Duh duh duh! Natalie's getting just _a little _bit Nuriko-ish huh? And please don't get too miffed up by those suggestive puns about Nat being a concubine and Andy being an emperor… I find them rather funny actually. Oh yeah, Chuuin IS TOMO and Doulin is Subaru (yes she is short). In my opinion, Nuriko and Tomo could become best of friends if they weren't enemies. Let's see…both feminine, both obsessed with dressing and makeup, and both are loudly proclaimed gays. (Nuriko fans don't flame me! I happen to be a devout Nuriko fan as well, just after I idolized Hotohori-sama!) 


	4. A Little Competition

**A Second Chance Perhaps?**

Author: Hfan

Notes: Now that Natalie is getting ready for her photo shoot, can you guess who will be her photographer? -smiles- Meanwhile, Andy encounters some rather difficult and personal questions fired off by the reporters.

On a more personal note, I am dreadfully sorry that I had to make readers wait for MONTHs for another chapter. I really love writing, but somehow I always get constant writer's block. Adding that this year is my final yr at junior college, I really have to work real hard to get into my desired university course. So I am actually very very very pleasantly surprised when there are still people reading this story (I thought it was dead)! Many thanks and hugs around for my readers! And thank you for being sooooo patient with me!

A few people to thank:

ChibiNuriko310: Yep! Nuriko, or rather Natalie now, is a girl... I hope. Hehe.

Minuiko: Ah! Haha, the name Andy Won is actually created by Watase Yuu herself (if I am not wrong)! There's a set of soundtracks with mini voice drama series in it which featured all the seishis reincarinated into Miaka's world, and Hotohori's name was Andy. Nuriko's name was originally Jen, but I felt that it would be better to give her something more girly and feisty. Haha, but I am quite attached to Andy for some reason. Heez, call it love.

Lena: Haha, the best is yet to be!

luvyuyu: Thanks again! And sorry to make you wait all the time! -hugs-

Crimson Zephyr: Haha! I love Nuriko/Hotohori pairings too! Then again I also like Hotohori/Houki pairings...pity there ain't much of such fanfiction... sad.

Mimic: Haha, can't agree more with you! I am just making Nuriko-chan's dreams come true! Yep, I am planning to have them together somewhere in the later chapters! But for now just tune in!

* * *

Chapter 4: A Little Competition 

"Lucky guess..?" She said. But deep down, Natalie was slightly spooked by the knowledge which she never knew she had.

_I... I just know how to wear it... almost as though I had been wearing them for a long time..._

"Err...Nat darling?"

Natalie snapped out of her thoughts and looked up at Doulin. Though she still had that questioning look on her face, there was no doubt that she was impressed with Natalie's so-called new found knowledge (a/n right...). Natalie could only manage a weak shrug, but Doulin was already wheeling in a full-length mirror in front of her.

"So! Like your new look princess?" Doulin gestured at Natalie's reflection. "You even put it on all by yourself!"

It was a stunning sight. Natalie was wearing a Chinese silk layer of the palest pink, edged with intricate yellow and gold trimmings on her collar and sleeves. Long flowing sleeves reached past her waist, almost touching the floor. Small, hand-painted flower motifs dotted at the hems of her skirt, reaching up to the upper right hand side of the dark maroon skirt, as though a strong breeze had just blown pass, scattering the flowers. The sash which held up her skirt was a sheer lilac fabric, tied into an elaborate Chinese knot with the jade as a centerpiece to hold it in place. The ends of the sash were tied into a butterfly knot, trailing onto the floor along with the train of her skirt. An outer coat of light indigo, with the edges of the sleeves and collar dusted with gold flakes and elaborate flower motifs, was worn on top of the attire and secured with another butterfly knot at the waist. Finally, another sheer lilac sash was then draped loosely around Natalie's shoulders to complete the whole attire.

Natalie could only stare at herself. For the third time that day, she could feel herself being almost relaxed, in fact, _use to _wearing such elaborate costumes. But another strange thing happened. A memory, almost pictorial, flashed across her mind.

-Memories-

She saw herself as a young child. She was inside a room, a strange room with an ancient Chinese looking bed. She was looking at herself in a small, hand-held mirror, painting her lips red with a little red rouge using her little finger. She caught a glimpse of her attire in the reflection. It was pink, with a white collar decorated with red trimmings...

-Memories end-

It was gone as soon as it came. Natalie was speechless.

_Now when had I tried doing that! Definitely not during my childhood life! I wasn't even..._

"You look absolutely fabulous!" She suddenly heard Chuuin gushing at her reflection. "Now all that's left would be to style up your hair! Come on!"

Still a little dazed from that memory, Natalie allowed herself to be steered by Chuuin back onto her seat. She was still thinking about her childhood...

_I wasn't even what I am now..._

-888888-

Doulin was really pleased at the outcome of the costume. Natalie really looked radiant in it! She had chosen the colours well in order to compliment her hair and eyes. Despite the three layers (including the inner garments), Natalie was still able to exhibit her slim figure and carried off the coy elegance which any noble Chinese lady would. She was a natural.

_Too natural in fact... Natalie didn't really strike me as someone who would be willing to spend her time researching on ancient China... or any historical facts for that matter! Unless... _

Doulin pondered over that thought as she stepped out of the studio, but quickly shook her head and laughed it off...

_She couldn't be! Why...even I had never seen her before when I was... _

"Hey beautiful! You are looking especially please with yourself!"

She gasped as she felt a hand drifting past her shoulders, down her back, and right down to her...

SMACK!

"OW!" The hand withdrew away immediately. Doulin turned around and smirked at the person before her. He was slightly taller than her, tanned, with spiky silver hair. He was holding on to a camera and a tripod stand, which toppled when he flinched at Doulin's slap. "Now look what you had done! That tripod isn't exactly cheap you know!"

"If you haven't been such a pervert and lay your hands on any curves you see..." she retorted, but got interrupted by a kiss on the forehead. "Lanva! Haven't anything penetrate that thick skull of yours yet!"

Lanva smiled and simply replied "Yep, you."

Doulin smiled in spite of herself. He could be so sweet sometimes. That was why she had agreed to date him last year.

_But that doesn't mean that he can fool around with me all the time... even at work!_

She looked at the apparatus which he was carrying. "I guess you are here for Natalie's photo shoot? But isn't Houjun supposed to handle this?"

Lanva rubbed his sore hand. "Well, apparently he was, but Adrian slotted me in at the last minute, saying that Houjun is going to take charge of another model, not that I am complaining anyway." He peered into the studio. "Whoa! Look at Natalie! She's sizzling! Hot! Err... not that she's better than you of course my dear!" He added hurriedly to Doulin, who rolled her eyes.

_Men... and sometimes I do question myself on why did I choose him out of so many out there!_

"You know what Lanva? You haven't change at all, not through all these years... you are still as flirtatious as ever."

"Naturally! Woman nowadays are more daring compared to last time! They show more skin!" He then went even closer to Doulin. "But of course there's one more thing which I haven't change. And that's my feelings for you. So why won't you marry me now?" He gave a sad puppy dog look at her while he sneaked his arm around her. Hoever, Doulin was too quick for him. She slipped out of his arm and laughed.

"For goodness' sake! I am only twenty! I still have lots to do before I can say yes!"

"But we got married last time when we were in our teens!"

"In _ancient China_ you mean! That was then! This is modern Japan now!"

"Then magic yourself older then! You can easily do that!" He cried.

"Hello, we are normal people... not Byakko seishis now..._Tokaki._" She rolled her eyes again. But seeing the look of dismay on his face, she went up to him and gave him a kiss.

"But I still love you Lanva, even if you are one BIG flirt!"

Lanva was surprised, but pleased at the same time. He looked into the studio again. Chuuin was still styling Natalie's hair. He turned around and gave Doulin the sneaky look.

"You know... Natalie's still having her hair done. Why don't we make full use of our precious time alone now?" His arm made its way around her shoulders again, and this time, she didn't resist.

--------

Andy's sleek, black Motorola Razr™ vibrated just as he settled down inside the cab which he just hailed. He looked at the screen.

_Uhoh..._

He picked up the cell phone and clicked on the receiver.

"Yes Rose?"

"Where are you now! The interview's almost starting, and you are not even prepared yet!"

"I am on my way back now..." He began, but Rose cut him.

"Thank goodness for that. Anyway please do spend some time while on your way here to think about those typical questions which they will be asking, like your new album and your rising status in the singing industry… you know the rest!"

"Yes I know. Rose... about..." Andy tried to begin again.

"No Andy, not now. And please do refrain from answering the more intimate questions... like your hotel room. The last time you answered that we wasted one whole day trying to get past that whole crowd of fans. You are more popular than ever now, and I don't need half of the country to squeeze their way into the hotel lobby!"

Andy gave up. "I know." He simply replied and hung up. Rose was already nervous enough, and he did not want to trouble her again when he requested a change in model casting.

As he placed his cell phone back into his pocket, he suddenly had an idea. He leaned from the passenger seat towards the driver. He was a young man, almost the same age, maybe even younger than Andy.

"Err... excuse me. But do you happen to hear of a model call Natalie?"

The driver looked into his rearview mirror. "Sure. Everyone knows her. She's one of our best models ever to grace the fashion world! You a foreigner?"

Andy gave a slight smile. "Yeah... I am just curious." He wanted to know more about this... Natalie. So he tried probing again. "Everyone is talking about her."

_Is she like Miaka...?_

"She sure had all the magazines in frenzy when they heard that she was one avid heartbreaker!" Andy didn't like the sound of that. "Speaking of her, there's her poster!" The driver inclined his head towards the left side of the road to a large shopping centre with a large poster hung outside.

Andy peered into the growing darkness towards the poster, but all he could make out was a shadow of a figure before the cab drove pass it.

_Night sure comes early here in Japan..._

"Bad luck man. Night comes early here, so I don't think you can see her well." He chuckled "There's always tomorrow, but there's only her posters around of course! People like us would not have any chance to see her personally."

_Lucky me then..._

Andy slumped back into his seat. Whatever he heard of Natalie wasn't exactly music to his ears.

"Yeah... there will always be tomorrow." He sighed miserably as he glanced back into the darkness, wishing that the next day would come more slowly.

--------

"_Voila_! I am done!" Chuuin pretended to flick of beads of sweat on his forehead as he smiled in satisfaction at his masterpiece sitting in front of him. Natalie's hair was done up in a complicated twist, which was secured in place with a golden hair ornament styled in the shape of a wings-spread phoenix. The excess purple tresses were then plaited and left trailing down to her waist. Chuuin had also added a few more elaborate hair pins to further enhance her overall hairstyle.

"Better be grateful princess! I practically ruined my soft hands when I used this much mousse to let your hair stay in place!" He used his fingers to indicate the amount of mousse which he had applied to her hair.

_This much of hair mousse... WHAT!_

Natalie, who had until then was spaced out, snapped back into reality. "WHAT! You practically use up _half the can_! Can you imagine how dry my hair will become!"

Chuuin smiled. "That finally got your attention back huh? What happened to you Nat? Ever since you realized you could put on that dress, you had been rather listless. That's not like you." He leant forwards to her. "You know you can tell me Natalie. What are friends for?"

Natalie forced another smile. "No... it's okay. I just feel slightly spooked off by that knowledge that's all..."

Chuuin laughed. "Nat! That's nothing... people always encounter such things!"

Natalie stared at him in disbelief.

_Right... like knowing how to wear a Chinese garb when you first see it!_

Chuuin continued. "Believe me, I also had such experience before." He paused before continuing. "Nat... I lied about learning makeup from some prestigious makeup school. I just knew how to."

Now it was Natalie's turn to stare at him in surprise. Chuuin had been an eccentric fellow in many ways, from his love for Chinese opera to his homosexuality. But about knowing makeup ever since he saw it! Before Natalie knew it, she found herself giving him a genuine smile.

"You know what Chuuin? I think that's why I found myself closer to you than everyone else!" She laughed, and finally allowed herself to relax.

Chuuin chuckled. "That's why we made good friends!" He spun her around in her chair. "Now your natural flush is back, I won't have to worry about adding more rouge to your cheeks! And for the finale," he brought out a small bottle. "Dewberry Mist – For that nice fresh dewy look!" He said as he gave a few light sprays on her hair and face. He then grasped both he hands and gently pulled her to her feet.

..._Thanks Chuuin._

"Now our princess is ready to take the centre stage!" Chuuin declared as he blew a kiss towards the studio door. "Lanva! Quit fooling around and come out now! I knew you had been staying there for quite sometime, depriving Doulin of her work!"

From the other side of the door, Natalie could hear Doulin's surprise gasp and Lanva's swearing. After a few minutes of fumbling and shuffling, Lanva came in, with hair slightly disheveled and rumpled clothes, arms holding on to the camera and tripod. He flashed a sheepish grin and held out his camera. "Looking beautiful Nat! My camera's dying to take a great shot!"

Natalie pretended to toss her hair and smirked. "Sure, as soon as you decide to get that red lipstick smudge off your lips."

--------

Once out of the cab, Andy burst into a full sprint into the hotel lobby towards the lifts.

_Let me see now... function room... function..._

He took one quick look at the directory listed beside the buttons and selected number 4. As the lift doors closed, Andy's eyes then caught sight of his reflection. One hand automatically reached out to sweep his hair back while the other went to straighten his jacket. He then checked his face.

_No blemishes... good._

The lift doors opened, and Andy suddenly felt himself being steered towards the function room by a rather irritable-looking Rose.

"I had been waiting for you at the lifts for a long time mister!" She hissed as she led him towards the function Room. "They are already here!"

_I wonder who sent me a last minute notice announcing that tomorrow's interview had been postponed to a few hours after I touched down..._

Before Andy could reply, she had already opened the doors and ushered him in. Flashes of light immediately greeted him as Rose led him towards his seat.

Momentarily blinded by the cameras, he gasped "I thought there was only one interview with the press?" Rose merely shook her head and replied.

"Press is a vague description of all forms of media my dear. There's the daily paper, _Tokyo Music Weekly _and _Tokyo Fashion_."

Andy suddenly had a vision of himself being cornered by starved vultures - a hungry and definitely ruthless scenario. Without waiting for him to answer, Rose pushed him down onto the plush velvet armchair as she gave an apologetic smile at the press.

"I am dreadfully sorry, but our Andy here isn't that use to the Tokyo streets..." She started, but was immediately cut off by a reporter standing next to her.

"Ohhh... What were you doing outside? Shopping? I heard you absolutely _adore _our beauty products here!" The reporter was a slim lady in her early thirties, and she was dressed in a sharp business suit which fitted perfectly with her figure. A pair of Chanel glasses framed her emerald-green eyes, in which a mischievous glint laid.

_Nope. Definitely not to be messed with. She can either ruin your life or make it big._

"No, I was meeting someone earlier on..."

"Ooohhhhh _someone!_"

"Not what you are thinking!" Andy added hurriedly.

"Relax hon, what's her name?" She purred while scrawling down some notes into her notepad.

"Eh? The whole family you mean?"

"Family?" The purring stopped.

"Yes, I had been visiting a couple with a younger daughter. Old friends." Andy finished, throwing her a triumphant look. The lady's smile faltered, and she stopped scribbling. "Still want the name?" he added, for politeness' sake.

"Why don't we move on to your upcoming concert? This is your debut concert in Japan isn't it?" Another reporter interjected.

Andy took a glance at the female reporter. She was younger than the first, and she was wearing a tight black shirt with the words 'Music makes me Lose Control' splashed across her chest and a smaller print below it 'Tokyo Music Station'.

"And your name is..."

The young woman gave a small, sheepish laugh. "I am so sorry! My name's Ai, Ai Tanaka, reporter and your regular DJ for Tokyo Music Station!" She did a mock salute, much to Andy's amusement.

Andy gave a slight smile as he heard her name. "Nice to meet you Tanaka-san. And about your question, there's going to be a concert on Saturday evening at Tokyo Dome. My first."

"Hmm, yes. And the details which were given to us also mentioned that there will be a few songs which are composed entirely in Japanese too! By you nonetheless! Let me see...one of the highlights is called "Boku no Uchuu ni Kimi ga Iru"... was it difficult for you to sing in a different language?"

"I was quite comfortable with it. For some background information, my maternal family has a history of Japanese heritage. So I grew up in a Chinese-Japanese culture even though I had never visited Japan until recently. I do know some Japanese history and had studied Japanese Language, so you can say that I am putting my education into good use."

Ai nodded as she jotted down that pieced of information. "So you actually have some relations to our country... And I heard that you will also be scouting for a model here to work alongside you in your music video too!"

Seeing Andy's surprised look, she gave another megawatt smile. "Your manager gave us that piece of information while we were waiting for you."

Giving Rose a disapproving look, Andy continued "Although the genre for my song has an oriental influence... you know, traditional Chinese instruments like the _erhu_ and the _yangqin_, Rose thinks that it will be more appropriate to cast a Japanese model for my debut Japanese song in order to draw mass appeal..."

"Oh... and who will the model be?" This time, the Chanel-framed lady spoke up.

Judging from her heavily branded get-up and her interest in the model, Andy deduced that she should be from the Tokyo Fashion Magazine.

"Of course, we from the Tokyo Fashion had already received news earlier on from Elites' that our very own supermodel Natalie has been selected for the shoot." Not waiting for his reply, the lady answered the question for him. "How do you feel about working with her?" Her red lips curled into a hungry smile.

_Not that I know her... but..._

"How does she look like?" was the only feeble thing Andy managed to come up with. The lady's smile dropped to an "O".

"You mean you have never seen her! My dear, she has been the talk of the town ever since she graced the Paris runways draped in Dior!" The lady did a mock faint as snapped her crocodile skin bag open. After a few tense minutes of picking through her bag, the lady dug out another notebook and flipped through the pages. When she found what she was looking for, she handed over the notebook to Andy.

"That's a brief version of Natalie written by yours truly!" The lady declared smugly. "It is currently featured on this month's Tokyo Fashion Magazine!"

_More like some tabloid written by Ms I-can-ruin-your-life-if-you-don't-cooperate..._

"A Man's Perfect Angel..." Andy murmured, his brows creased slightly as he scanned through the paragraphs which were written in hiragana. After more of less understanding the gist of the article, he grew slightly worried. He turned towards Rose and mouthed "I don't think I want her".

She shush-ed him in response. He glared back. She sighed and excused herself from the function room.

"Well, she does sound _slightly_ intimidating, but as usual, we have not totally decided who exactly we will be selecting to work alongside us. That piece of information," Andy inclined his head towards the lady, who was just about to inquire, "will be announced tomorrow after the audition."

_Natalie's not going to be one of them though._

"Why don't we head on to the next question?" He smiled, feeling relieved.

"Of course. Are you single?"

-888888-

"Yes, I would like you to help me pass a message to Adrian. Tell him it's Rose."

_Andy... you are going to own me BIG time._

After walking out of the function room, Rose dialed the Elites' administration number. The operator placed her on hold before a deep, smooth voice answered.

"This is Adrian. Is there anything wrong?"

"Yes Adrian. You see, it seems like Andy is not too keen on having Natalie. Do you think it's possible…"

"Of course, I _perfectly_ understand. That's why I decided to sign up another model for the interview tomorrow. She's pretty new, but she's a natural."

Rose thought that she detected a hint of smugness in Adrian's voice.

"That's fine with me, I trust your choices. Can I have her name?"

--------

"Just tilt the fan slightly... I need to see those luscious lips of yours... and there!" Lanva's camera flashed as the sound of the shutter whirred madly.

"Okay, just give me a coy smile, you know, like those shy princess-like giggle-behind-the-fan look... Yep, that's perfect! And we are done for the day!" Lanva announced as he switched off the glaring spotlights. "Good work Nat!"

Doulin, who had been watching the whole shooting process under Natalie and Lanva's insistence, walked over and echoed Lanva's remark.

"Great job girl! Now let us help you get out of your multi-tiered dress!"

Natalie fanned herself while she stood up gracefully. "About time too, I can feel myself practically melting underneath all these layers!"

"Easy for you to say princess. I have to move around the time while you just pose and be your pretty self." Lanva retorted as he disassemble his tripod "Not forgetting that I will be staying up all night to develope the photos and organized your portfolio for you!"

"I thought Houjun will be working on my portfolio?"

"Haven't you heard? Houjun's been assigned to create a portfolio for a new model by tomorrow. He's on a pretty tight schedule, that's why Adrian assigned me to you instead."

Hearing that there was going to be a new model, Natalie stopped untying her sash and looked up. "Who's the new darling then?"

"Now that's the interesting part. It turns out that she happens to be..."

"NAT DARLING!"

All eyes turned towards the studio door, which were immediately flung open by Chuuin. His usual tight ponytail was in disarray, and stray strands of hair partially obscured his face as he burst into the studio. His eyes looked slightly watery as he ran forward towards Natalie.

"I feel sooo WRONG! Forgive me Nat!" He enveloped her in a fierce hug. "If only I had known! I wouldn't have agreed to it! Not even once!"

Natalie was not surprised when Chuuin hugged her, nor at his outburst. After all, he is known to be over dramatic with his facts and actions. She patted his head comfortingly.

_Cheer him up and then we can all go home!_

"There there, relax darling You know I have no idea what's going on right? How in the world would I get angry at you if you haven't even told me what you did?"

"Oh Nat! I did the most horrible thing ever!"

_You can't possibly do anything worse than what that Tokyo Fashion Magazine did!_

"Akin to backstabbing!"

_Or maybe you can._

"What exactly did you do Chuuin?" Natalie demanded as she attempted to pry herself away from him. He merely wailed louder and embraced her even more tightly, as though he was expecting her to turn to mist.

"You remember what I told you about me having to work on Kae after you? Well, I went to the studio at the other wing and" Chuuin sniffed before continuing "Oh Nat this is so shocking..."

Natalie almost screamed in frustration. She was still suffering from all that many layers of cloths, and Chuuin was not helping much by dragging his story. To top it all, she was suffocating from his tight hug.

"Chuuin would you _please_ release me and get to the point! I can feel myself dying as you speak!" Natalie gasped.

"Oh my god I am so sorry! Adrian requested me to do the same makeup on her!"

"What?" The struggling stopped.

"Don't you get it Nat! You are not the only model who is going for the audition tomorrow! Adrian is going to recommend her as well!" Chuuin exclaimed as he finally let go of her. "And judging by the amount of attention she is getting... like Houjun and I, even Adrian himself was there! Oh if I had known! But I simply cannot refuse! Adrian was _counting_ on me! He said so..."

But Natalie was not paying attention to him anymore. Instead, she was removing all her clothes hurriedly while Doulin looked on with amazement and wonderment. Chuuin gave another deep sniff to emphasize his presence.

"Did you hear what I just said Nat? Kae is..."

"Yes I know! Why do you think I am changing this fast!"

Natalie's irritated reply made Chuuin flinched, but he continued meekly. "I am sorry... Do you need any help then?"

She stopped moving around and turned to him. He was surprised when he saw her giving him a smile.

"Glad you asked. Actually I do need a bit of help in getting rid of my makeup and hairstyle" Natalie gestured at the sundress which she had changed into. "It doesn't seem to fit this dress. Can you, the great makeup artist as well as my good friend, do something about it?"

Chuuin smiled gratefully and headed towards her. "But why are you in such a rush."

"To show some sportsmanship! There's nothing like a little competition to keep my social life in check!" Natalie announced simply.

* * *

Hfan: I don't really like this chapter…-sad sad- I felt that it was too long and boring. But I need to add it to introduce certain characters... Argh! You all can start throwing stones at me... -braces herself- 


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